KAVARATTI, Lakshadweep: Dr Jitendra Singh Tomar, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, said that the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), has developed a Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) technology to turn sea water into potable water.
NIOT is an autonomous institute that falls under the ambit of the Ministry of Earth Science, which has successfully demonstrated the conversion of sea water into drinking water with the help of LTTD technology. The institute has been shown the technology at the Kavaratti, Agati and Minicoy islands of Lakshadweep. Each desalination plant can make 1 lakh litres of drinking water per day.
The technology is suitable for the island territory of India since it has all the necessary conditions, such as a 15˚ Celsius difference between surface water and deep-sea water.
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has entrusted the task of establishing six more desalination plants with a capacity of 1.5 lakh litres of water per day at Amini, Androth, Chetlet, Kadmat Kalpeni and Kiltan. The estimated cost of setting up the LTTD plant in the island state stands at Rs 187.75 crores.